Silver Frost
by blacksmokeangel
Summary: Smoke Silver is...different. She has wings, she can read minds, and her uncle is none other than Tony Stark. She's a lot like him. So much like him that Loki, when he returns to Earth, doesn't scare her even a little. For Loki's part, he's intrigued by this feisty, brave angel. He find himself wanting her...and she will be his. (Rated M for later chapters and language.)
1. Chapter 1

There were three unusual things about Smoke Silver that everyone realized almost right away:

One, she could read minds. It was something she'd always been able to do. She'd learned early on to keep her mouth shut and watch people's mouths to make sure she didn't start responding to thoughts instead of what was actually said. She had also been informed that it was rude to read minds without permission, but she was never known for her manners.

Two, she had wings. Again, something she'd lived with her entire life. She wasn't sure how she'd gotten them, but they were a part of her. In fact, she preferred having wings to none. It was just a part of life that she was accustomed to.

Three, she was Tony Stark's niece. It didn't matter that her last name was Silver-Tony's sister's husband's name-everyone, even Tony, called her Stark. She wasn't so indignant about it, except everyone seemed to forget that she had had parents before she lived with him. It was a short time, of course, but a time nonetheless.

She could easily pass as his daughter with her black hair and tanned skin-just like his. She was also sarcastic and fiercely independent, like him. She had the brilliance to back it up and the authority issues that often got her into trouble. She could be too curious for her own good at times-but that was why they got along so well…and drove each other crazy.

"JARVIS play AC/DC to wake up Smoke," Tony commanded at ten-thirty, Saturday morning.

"Sir, I can't," the cultured, automated voice replied, "Ms. Silver has forbidden me to play that with her permission."

Tony's mouth dropped open.

"Well override her order," he commanded.

"I can't, she used your override code," the system responded.

Tony grumbled and stomped over to Smoke's room. She had semi-permanent lodging in Tony's house-semi-permanent due to her erratic 'adventures' across the country or even across the world. She was a proud woman of twenty-four, that could act more like ten, and refused to be told how to live her life...which included being woken up on a Saturday.

He crept into her room to see Smoke entangled in a mess of sheets. She was lying on her stomach, one hand under her head, the other extended above her. Her hair fell across her face like a thin curtain. Her wings were stretched out and draped across the rest of the bed-the tips brushing the polished floor. With the shades up on the windows and the light streaming in, Smoke looked like an angel.

But Tony Stark knew that was as far from the truth as it got. Smoke was no angel-well; to him she was, but not really to anyone else. He stalked in quietly, tiptoeing around her open wings carefully, trying not to step on any feathers.

He took a second to examine them. Her wings were no secret-that was a simple fact. She was often stopped for people to ask about them or sometimes even to touch them. She had little patience to wait for them to get a good look and when they did, it made her feel twitchy; like there was an itch she couldn't reach.

He wasn't sure what kind of bird wings they were. He was pretty sure that they weren't hawk or eagle wings. They were too elegant. At the very top, where the thickest, bone was, the framework for the appendages, the feathers were black. Her secondary's were varying shades of gray and her primary feathers, at the very bottom, were snow white. The very tips of her wings were significantly longer than the rest by almost six inches.

"I was awake before you even opened the door," Smoke said suddenly, startling Tony, not that he showed it.

"Yeah, well then I shouldn't have to come in to wake you up every morning, should I?"

She snorted.

"You sleep as much as I do," she replied, stretching out all her limbs-feathery ones included.

They went up, almost touched the ceiling with their length, before neatly folding against her back. She sat up, popping her back and brushing her hair out of her face, yawning.

"Because I'm _working,_" he replied sounding like a child.

She rolled her eyes and indulged him with a bored expression.

"And I'm burning calories just talking. Besides, I work too."

He stuck his tongue out at her. Sometimes (most of the time) Tony was more like a big brother than an uncle.

"Yours doesn't count because you don't get paid," he answered.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not talking about that one," she replied coolly.

It sounded worse than it was. She was a bounty hunter of the bonds collection agent variety. She wasn't getting into anything illegal-not that she could with SHIELD stalking her like an ex-lover. That was her other job-the unpaid one. She wasn't an official part of SHIELD (her pride wouldn't allow her to take orders as agent) so they didn't pay her for the work she did and the missions she went on. Neither did Tony, so they were pretty even.

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes, "just get dressed."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Maybe I want to go out in my PJ's," she replied.

"Well that's all fine and dandy with me. I just thought you'd want to get dressed to meet Fury."

This caught her attention. She sat up a little straighter, reading his mind. In a split second she understood what was happening and climbing out of bed.

"Tell him I'll be out in fifteen," she told Tony as she passed him.

"Will do, kiddo," he told her before exiting her room to allow her privacy.

She ordered JARVIS to allow her to listen to the conversation outside her room as she changed clothes. A few words were exchanged, but nothing of great importance. Her clothes were all fitted and altered for her wings, but that didn't necessarily make it easy to get stuff on. It took a grand total of five minutes of the fifteen she'd allowed herself to get her outfit on. It took the ten minutes left to brush through her tangled hair and made herself look somewhat presentable.

It took only about a minute to get from her room upstairs to the living room downstairs, but to Nick Fury, it might as well have been an hour for the way he glared at her.

"So kind of you to join us in the land of the living, Stark," Fury practically spit.

Jesus, was he ever in a good mood?

"Yeah, well, it's not like I enjoy sleeping or anything," she replied dryly.

Fury chose to ignore the comment and looked between the two Starks with his one good eye.

"We have a situation," he said, letting the gravity in his voice register before he continued, "Loki is back."

Smoke's head tilted sideways. Loki…she'd heard the name before, in that same tone of voice, she just couldn't remember where or why. She didn't dare read Fury's mind-somehow, he usually knew when she was picking through his brain (probably because she stared when she wanted to read someone's mind). But Tony had no such reservations toward her power, so she picked up all the information she needed.

Loki, the god of mischief and lies, destroyer of her favorite ice cream joint in all of New York and, from Tony's mental image, a man that enjoyed theatrics. He was the 'adopted' brother of Thor, god of thunder. He was not Asguardian, but a Frost Giant, which explained his apparent bad disposition.

"Well that's not good," she said redundantly.

"No kidding," Tony answers dryly.

"We need you both to come in," Fury cuts in.

Smoke's gaze flicked over to him. There were few people that could hold it. Her eyes, oddly enough, cat-like slits. They were a bright, piercing blue-green that unnerved most people. Among the few were none other than Nick Fury and Tony Stark.

"Why would you want me to come in? I mean, Tony is an Avenger, so I get why you want him but I'm…"

She trailed off when she picked up on his thoughts.

"Welcome to the team," he said, somewhat smugly.

What a dick.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I'm really sorry if Smoke seems like a Mary Sue, I don't want this to be garbage. I'm going to try really hard to give her some character flaws and make the conversations realistic. But thank you for the feedback because I like knowing where I need work. I really do appreciate it**

* * *

Ever since Loki had returned to Midguard, he'd been in hiding. And his hiding spot was a stroke of pure genius. He'd taken on the identity of a SHIELD agent. Of course, he'd had to pick through the pathetic mortal's mind and assume his the character entirely to avoid suspicion…but it was worth it to keep an eye on his enemies and, eventually, destroy them from the inside.

It had taken Thor three days to realize Loki was gone, but that had been enough time for him to settle into his position in SHIELD. Just that day, he'd been 'informed' of his own escape. The Man of Iron would be arriving any moment in response to Loki's return.

As if on cue, the cocky bastard stalked through the doors to the main control room. He'd been chatting with Agent Hill for the last ten minutes when he came in.

"The party has arrived," was his opening line.

It drew the attention of half the agents behind the computers. The others simply ignored him with a roll of the eyes. They were well acquainted with Tony Stark's bluster.

"Stark," Agent Hill greeted, "and Stark."

A girl's head poked out from behind the man.

"Oh, hey Maria," she said lightly.

Loki's interest was mildly piqued. He'd never seen her before, but she was apparently related to the Man of Iron. That wasn't so hard to see. Her hair was dark brown, almost black. She had the same proud features and carried themselves with similar confidence and strength.

"Who's this?" Tony asked, gesturing to Loki.

"Tony Stark, Smoke Silver, this is Agent Frost. He's taken over in Coulson's…absence. Smoke, he'll be debriefing you on Loki."

The girl's eyes widened significantly.

"Debriefing…?"

The expression on Hill's face said that she was not in the mood for games. The expression on Smoke Stark's face said she was in the mood for nothing but. Loki stepped forward and held out a hand. Smoke took it and they shook. Her hands were cool and soft, slender. He put just the slightest bit of pressure, as was customary, but she winced.

"Delicate bones," she said with a grimace as way of explanation.

"My apologies," he answered.

She smiled slightly and her head tipped to the side, looking him dead in the eye. Her eyes were strange for a Midguardian, yes, but they didn't necessarily faze him. Surprised, her eyes narrowed a little.

"Smoke, it's rude to read people's minds without permission."

Smoke and Loki both jerked away from each other. He frowned. So that's what made her so special to come to SHIELD. She could read minds. He'd have to be more careful around her in the future. For Smoke's part, she was mighty suspicious of how quickly, and how effectively, Agent Frost blocked her. It wasn't impossible, but it was highly unlikely that the average Joe agent would be able to keep her out.

Deciding that she would investigate while he was 'debriefing' her (wow, that sounded dirty) she stepped back.

"Lead the way."

He gladly did as she bid. Loki could feel Smoke's strange eyes on his back. She was attempting to read his mind, and he could feel it. She wasn't nearly as strong as he was, it was barely a pressure at all, but impressive that she could read minds at all.

They made it to a debriefing room. He turned to watch her reaction to it. She saw no danger in it clearly, from her relaxed posture, but she did recognize its isolation. There was only one door, no windows and the entire room was sound proof and locked once the door closed. It did so slowly as he considered her.

"How private," he told her, "one way in and out and no recording devices whatsoever."

She raised an eyebrow, somehow managing to make the one movement both challenging and skeptical.

"Why do you make it sound so threatening?" she asked.

"I didn't realize it sounded that way," he lied.

It was at that moment that the door closed. It surprised her, but she forced herself not to react. She was still too busy deciding whether she believed Agent Frost or not.

"So? What's the deal with Loki?" she asked finally, breaking the suddenly pregnant silence.

For a moment, he was thrown off.

"Pardon?"

"Aren't you supposed to be debriefing me or something?"

He turned and picked up the waiting file from the table top so that she couldn't see the wicked grin on his face. She had no idea…

"I already know half this stuff," she said, scanning through the first few notes.

Loki figured she picked it up from others.

"Magic?" she asked, brows furrowing, "what type of magic?"

"Dark magic, I would assume," he answered as if she was an idiot.

She rolled her eyes.

"It is powerful?"

"Nothing too powerful. Just spells that will confuse or daze you."

She nodded, considering the file.

"This is a nice picture of him," she muttered offhandedly, "which is weird. I hope the picture on my file is as nice as this one."

Momentarily thrown off by her seemingly random musings, he asked, "how do you know you have a file?"

She looked up at him, flashing a wide grin that reminded him of the other Starks.

"Please, they have a file on everyone."

The rest of the file did not take long for Smoke to analyze. She read the evaluation, mildly intrigued by the 'inferiority complex' diagnoses. She'd read Tony's at some point. It had been something along the lines of narcissistic egotism and paranoia or something like that. She had to admit, the psychoanalysts at SHIELD were good.

But after reading Loki's file, there was something nagging at her. She couldn't place it exactly, not yet. However, there was no way she was going to be able to function as a 'normal' (at least normal for her) human being with this feeling in her head.

She puzzled it out all the way to the lab that Bruce was occupying. Tony was there, chatting with him like a housewife starving for attention. Bruce didn't seem to mind. Smoke figured he led a fairly lonely existence, even though he was constantly surrounded by members of SHIELD.

"Warning Dr. Banner: I can read minds," she said as soon as they noticed her presence.

He chuckled and stood to shake her hand.

"Tony already told me. But thank you for the warning. Bruce it fine."

"Bruce then," she said, "It's an honor to meet you.

She was being sincere. The guy was a genius. Even Tony had major respect and admiration for him-that said something.

"Likewise; I've heard you're a biological anomaly," he said.

She felt a light blush stain her cheeks, which was surprising. Smoke was many things-bashful was never one of them. To cover it, she scoffed lightly.

"Nah, it's just wings."

Unlike her uncle, she was _really _bad with attention. Oh sure, she could fake it in front of mooks-like the SHIELD agents…but when it was someone she actually had respect for, she was really bad at gracefully accepting compliments or even just attention.

"May I see them?"

* * *

Smoke's words kept echoing in his head.

_They have a file on everyone…_

He quickly went to one of the lower level agents that ran information and kept files under control.

"Get me the file on Smoke-" what was her last name? "Silver."

The younger agents immediately scurried off and got it for him. The manila folder was handed to him only fifteen minutes later. Her name was written last, then first across the top in SHIELD's usual font- _Silver, Smoke._

As soon as he opened it, a picture of her brilliant smile greeted him. She needn't have worried; it was an excellent picture of her. She was at some sort of event. Her hair was loose around her shoulders-not in the ponytail he'd met her in-and she was smiling widely, genuinely. There was a slight wrinkle in her nose, as if she'd been laughing when the picture was taken. Exquisite.

If he thought the rest of her file would be as bright and innocent as her picture, he was terribly mistaken. The more he delved, the darker her file became. It seemed there was more to the strange, spoiled Midguardian than met the eye.


	3. Chapter 3

"Stark. Stark, get up."

Smoke's eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice. She found herself looking into the eyes of Agent Frost. It really bothered her that he'd seen her sleeping, vulnerable. She'd been completely at his mercy-which was a redundant thought consider he was an agent of SHIELD. He wouldn't hurt her.

"I don't wanna," she muttered back.

Already she was testing the barriers in his mind again. Nope, they were as impenetrable as before. Damn.

"Well that's unfortunate. But you need to get up. Your uncle threatened to come in and get you himself."

She groaned. Of course Tony would. He'd probably roll her onto the floor.

"Alright, I'm up," she whined, sitting up.

She tried to run a hand through her hair, but her fingers got caught on a few snags. She winced in pain and disentangled herself.

"Anything else?" she asked Agents Frost, who was still in her room.

He shook his head slightly, clearly rousing himself from some serious musings.

"No."

With that, he left.

"Well good morning to you too," she mumbled as he disappeared out the door.

Getting dressed didn't take long. She was very aware of how comfortable her clothes needed to me. She'd been informed that the situation onboard the hellicarrier could go from slow to dangerous in a matter of seconds. So she settled for an old, flexible pair of gray jeans and tank top. She left her gray and red windbreaker unzipped on her shoulders.

"What took you so long?" Tony inquired irritatingly when she appeared in the main control room.

"Food," she answered tersely, shaking her thermos of coffee and nibbling on her toast.

"Well there's someone I want you to meet," he said.

"Thor?" she guessed, glancing at the man standing by one of the monitors.

"Dammit, Smoke," her uncle whined, "you know I hate it when you spoil my surprises."

She shrugged. She didn't have enough caffeine in her to humor him yet.

"Thor," he called.

The tall, muscular man looked up and stepped forward, smiling already.

"You are Smoke Stark, I presume?" Thor asked, holding a hand out.

"Yes and you're the god of thunder," she murmured, taking it.

He laughed. His grip was extremely gentle. Perhaps someone had told him how fragile her bones were.

"Did you read my mind?" he questioned.

She frowned. How did everyone know? That was really frustrating.

"No, I already knew that," she answered.

He laughed again. It was loud and booming. He clapped her shoulder, which nearly pitched her much smaller frame over the railings of the bridge. He also tagged her wing in the process, probably giving her bruise.

"My apologies," he was still laughing, "it escaped my memory how light birds are."

Despite herself, a small smile curled Smoke's lips up.

"It's alright," she replied, rolling her shoulder and flexing her sore wing.

"Thor is here to help us find Loki. Again."

Her head tipped sideways at them both.

"Well he can't be that dangerous anymore, can he? I mean, he doesn't have any more armies or weapons, does he?" she inquired curiously.

Both men exchanged glances. She picked up on both their thoughts. Tony thought she was being naïve. According to him, she didn't have enough experience. It made her jaw clench. So much for his vote of confidence. Thor, however, was seriously considering her observation.

"Perhaps not," he said finally, "but he is still capable of harm and he has not yet faced his crimes."

She nodded, sipping from her coffee. Bruce came in then.

"Smoke, there you are. You promised me some tests today."

"That I did," she answered, finishing her toast, "are you ready for me?"

He nodded and began leading the way back to the lab. The day before, he'd taken blood samples and spent the rest of the day going back and forth between testing it and searching for Loki. So far, no such luck with the latter, but interesting results from the former.

"Alright, so I was authorized to take some x-rays of you, so we'll so some of those. Then I wanted to make some diagrams of the musculature and perhaps have you do some monitored exercise."

She smiled kindly. Sometimes she had a way of coming off intimidating and unapproachable (or so she'd been informed). It was only because in Tony's business, people would walk all over her if she didn't establish who was in charge. It was automatic, and unfortunately necessary in almost every setting, but she didn't feel the need for that front with Bruce.

"Sounds like I'm in for a full day," she replied.

He chuckled and nodded, leading through the halls so a closed door with a sign that said 'X-RAYS' in red letters that looked as if they could light up. Bruce swiped a key card and the door slid open. He allowed her through first before following.

The lights came on automatically. Or really…light. The machine was large and something she'd only seen a couple times. It was not often that she went to the hospital and even less often that she had to get an x-ray.

"Alright, remove any metal you may have on you and any excess fabrics."

Smoke pulled off the windbreakers and her silver bracelet that Tony had given her as a birthday present a couple years ago. Bruce took both, promising not to lose the bracelet and helped her onto the table. It took several minutes to get her into a proper position to take the picture. She had to lie on her stomach and spread her wings as far as she could in the less than spacious room. He then placed a heavy jacket type thing over her lower back, butt, and head.

"Alright, stay just like that and it should be over in a few moments," Bruce promised, disappearing behind a thick screen.

She heard him tapping away at the keys of a computer and then she heard the machine come online and warm.

"Alright, try to stay as still as possible. 3, 2, 1…"

There was a slight sound to let her know the picture was taken. Bruce came out a second later.

"Good," he said, "you can get down and we'll take picture of a wing."

It took several more x-rays, and by the end Smoke could swear she could feel the cancer, but Bruce seemed pretty satisfied with the pictures. They went back to his lab where they wait for the physical copies of the x-rays to be finished. Some obscure agent showed up with the copies and then Bruce told her that they would do the exercise. Smoke was actually pretty excited. She usually flew once or twice a day, depending on how busy she was, and she'd barely gotten a chance the day before.

They went out on deck to see a huge audience congregated. Apparently, word had spread about her flying tests and everyone wanted to see it. Even Tony, Thor, and Agent Frost were there. The monitor system consisted of a black band that went around her wrist, where her pulse was to measure her heart rate, a wire that Bruce taped in various spots along her arm to keep it in place, and a mask to measure breathing. Her windbreaker went over all of this.

"I'll be getting data back on deck. Feel free to stay up as long as you want, but you'll have to stay up a minimum of five minutes for me to get proper measurements."

"Got it," she told him.

She repeated everything he'd said back to him while she confined her hair into a tight braid. At one time she'd cut her hair short so that it wouldn't bother her. But eventually she let it grow out again. The only problem: she couldn't fly with her hair down. So she had to tie it back.

"Whenever you're ready," Bruce said.

She scanned the deck and made a waving motion with her hand.

"You guys have to move," she shouted so that everyone could hear her.

The wind buffeted her as she ruffled her wings, loosening them. The agents all moved out of her way, making a sort of runway for her. She glanced at Tony, who gave her two thumbs up. She grinned wickedly and then took off at a sprint, building speed. At the very edge of the ship, when it looked like she would jump into the water, she snapped her wings out and pushed down, quickly gaining altitude. A cheer went up from the crowd and she laughed as she went careening through the air.

Flying was a part of her. It was the only time she ever felt truly alive. She wouldn't give it up for anything. Not to be normal. Not to have people leave her alone. Not to have a sturdier frame. Nope, there was nothing like the rush she got from being in the air with nothing but her windbreaker between her and the elements.

* * *

Loki stood on deck, watching as the young Stark flipped and spun through the air with skill and grace. She made it look like she was dancing. It nothing like how Thor 'flew', with the help of his hammer. No, this was something else. This was a real understanding of aeronautics. He suddenly saw much more value in her.

She would be an excellent air force commander. Invaluable and at his disposal, she could be his greatest tool in destroying SHIELD and the Avengers for good and taking over all of Midgaurd.

He watched as she flew up directly above the deck and folded her wings in, dropping like a stone. She was nearly to the point of no return when her wings spread again and she was nearly grazing the heads of the stunned agents as she took to the skies again. She was clearly showing off, and clearly enjoying it.

Tony was clapping, making little comments about how good she'd gotten. He was saying something about how when she was young she was horrible at landing and doing tricks. Loki had to say that she'd come a long way then.

Fifteen minutes had passed since she'd first taken off and now she was coming in for a smooth, graceful landing. She was panting slightly and was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. There was a huge grin on her face, her cheeks stained pink with wind burn. There was much clapping and she got several compliments.

"So how was that?" she asked, approaching the Avengers and Loki.

"Show off," Tony grumbled and tousled her hair.

She scrunched up her nose at him, but it was clear that she was still in a very good mood. What would it be like to have her smile because of him, Loki wondered, the thought unbidden. He frowned slightly. Smoke caught sight of it.

"Seriously?" she asked, "you're not even a little impressed?"

He smirked slightly.

"Oh, I'm very impressed," he answered.

He kept the suggestive tone from his voice, but pushed it at her with his mind. Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly and she quickly began chattering to Thor. He had to remind himself that he did not look like his usual godly self.

No matter, it would soon be time to reveal himself. He would destroy SHIELD and one way or another, Smoke would be the key.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Some days were easier than others for Smoke. Today was not one of those days.

While her demonstration the day before had left the agents speechless…that hadn't stopped their speculation and skepticism for her. She was twenty-four years old and everyone was still treating her like a petulant child. She was one of the youngest people working for SHIELD and that wasn't even official. She came from the lap of luxury…or that's what everyone thought.

Sure, Smoke's mother being Tony Stark's sister had given her a pretty posh adolescence, but that didn't necessarily equate to her being spoiled and pretentious. At sixteen her parents had boarded a plane that turned out to be their coffins. There were internal malfunctions that blew both engines.

The force of the explosions knocked out Smoke, who had been following behind the plane (they made her twitchy) and quickly lost altitude before her wings caught enough air to cushion the fall of hitting the water. The shock of the ocean woke her, but she had then been trapped with the weight of plane oil and salt water in her wings.

She'd spent hours fighting just to keep her head above water before an Italian fishing vessel that had gone out a little too far found her. It was an elderly man that had helped her into the boat, near death with dehydration and exhaustion. She'd spent a week getting herself back together.

She couldn't bring herself to fly-not after her parents died in that crash, in the air. The elderly couple taking care of her was kind and patient with her, but they couldn't afford to take care of her for longer than she'd been able to heal. So Smoke left. For a year she'd wandered, lost and afraid. Who was she supposed to call? Her uncle who didn't know she existed and would never expect a call from a small European village? Not likely.

Mind reading had kept her alive as both a source of meager income and a security system. It wasn't perfect. Fatigue was a heavy drug and more than once Smoke had been rudely awoken by either theft or attempted rape or both. These incidents were enough to harden her to street life and also hone her combat skills. There was no better academy than poverty.

Twenty months later, SHIELD found Smoke sparring in an illegal fighting organization in Budapest. They offered to take her back to the US, get her in touch with her uncle (who indeed had no idea she existed), and clear all the charges that she may have collected while abroad if she worked (unofficially) for SHIELD in return. She'd gladly accepted and she was on a flight to America the next day.

Two days later Smoke Silver was cleaned up and introduced to Tony Stark for the first time. He'd commented when she'd refused to use her wings on the flight to New York. What was the use of wings if she didn't fly? It was three months later that she finally worked up the courage to fly again. Finally, a week later, Smoke was on her first mission assigned by SHIELD.

What was so hard about today, though? It was the anniversary of her parent's death and she'd just gotten into a huge fight with Tony.

"I miss them too Smoke! Stop being so selfish!" he'd yelled.

"Oh, I'm selfish?" she'd scoffed in outrage, "have you looked in the mirror lately?"

"It's not as if you're alone, Smoke. It's not as if you didn't get a chance to say goodbye!"

She had glared at him, angrier than she'd ever been with him.

"Oh why don't you go just drink it away instead of facing it like the rest of us?"

They'd gotten into fights before. Hell, they argued all the time. But never with this much intensity. Never were they as hurtful as they were right then.

"Look, I know you've never had to deal with this before, but we have psychopathic megalomaniac on the loose. So suck it up and wait for a better time to have a tantrum."

But it had been his thoughts that made Smoke snap. He'd been thinking that she was being childish, that she was being ridiculous. He'd thought, like always, that she was naïve. He didn't know. Of course, it was her decision that he not know all that she had been through. He thought that as soon as his sister and brother-in-law had died, she'd been shipped off to him. SHIELD covered up everything that had happed while she'd been away.

Smoke had stared around at all the faces on the deck, picking through thoughts faster than the speed of light. Most of them had been the same. They sided with Tony. None of them probably had the level of clearance to know about the months she'd been missing from America.

So, cheeks burning with both humiliation and indignation she'd turned and stormed away. But not before getting one last word in.

"You're not the only one that's been stranded, Tony."

She'd gotten as far as around the corner before the tears started to fall. She sprinted down the metal grated walkways. It was dangerous to run on a boat, but she trusted her own balance to keep her from falling. She dodged agents so that they wouldn't see her crying.

Now she was up, wheeling through the air above the ship. Just the sight of it was causing her heartache, so she went out farther, away from the ship, towards the open ocean.

Smoke had no fears about getting lost anymore. She'd studied enough maps and memorized them to know where land masses were. She didn't fly on planes, so all her trips to other countries were done with just her wings. It was all very complicated, but she could find her way back to the ship. That was all she had to know.

Up in the air, there was a sort of peace in knowing no one could reach her. She was completely isolated. There was nothing but water beneath her and all the people she was angry at were miles back, stuck. It was the only time Smoke ever felt free, but she knew she had to go back down and rest eventually.

She began to journey back but instead of landing, she went up, coasting on drafts where no one could see her-not even with binoculars. She was angry and sad and trying to figure out why everyone was being so unfair. Hadn't she proven herself? Hadn't she shown them that she was capable, that she wasn't as naïve as they all thought? Would it take for them to have a little faith in her?

Unbidden, Loki came to mind. Was that his problem? No one had ever taken him seriously because of his title as 'god of mischief and lies'. It was a stupid title really. At least the last part about lies. Everyone lied. Just because he did it more often than most people might have just meant that he had more reason to.

Now that wasn't the same as saying Smoke thought he was just misunderstood. That really would be stupid and naïve. The man killed people. For fun, apparently. But maybe there was a way to reason with him. People weren't just naturally evil. They weren't born to kill. Something drove him to be like that. So maybe if they could reason with him he could be reconditioned? Rehabilitated?

And speaking of Loki, there was something that was seriously bothering her. It had been bothering her for days. Something that had to do with his ability to read minds and the fact that he could perform magic. She had to talk to Thor. But in private. If she turned out to be wrong, Smoke knew that would just prove Tony right.

Filled with a new sense of purpose, she began descending. As she drew closer, she saw a figure on the deck. It was Agent Frost.

"Agent Frost," she said surprised, wiping her eyes of tears, "what are you doing out here?"

"I heard you arguing with Tony Stark. Is everything all right?"

Sometimes when he spoke, she could swear she heard just the slightest accent.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered hastily.

The expression on his face said he did not believe her. She would have tried to see what he was thinking, but she already knew that he was blocking her. That was another thing. He could block her without any effort. He didn't even have to focus on keeping her out like some agents. That wasn't right. It raised several alarm bells, she just couldn't decide _why._ The answer was elusive and it was driving her crazy.

"What were you fighting about?" Agent Frost insisted, watching her intensely.

She held his eyes, watching how calm he was about it. No, that wasn't right either. The run of the mill agents wouldn't just look her in the eyes so nonchalantly. Funny, Thor did too…

"My parents. This is the day they died," she replied quietly, deciding it was smart to just be blunt and that would hopefully keep him from asking anymore questions.

"I'm sorry," he said, but even without reading his mind Smoke knew it was an insincere sentiment.

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me-I'm exhausted," she murmured and moved past him.

She could feel his eyes burning a hole in her head as she went inside. The door to the deck closed behind her and she began going about the ship, searching for the loud, boisterous thoughts of the God of Thunder while her own mind was working away. She was trying to piece everything together.

She found him in the break room, snacking on Wheat Thins. With one order, all the agents were gone.

"Lady Stark," he greeted warmly, mouth full of crackers.

"Smoke is fine, Thor," she said hurriedly, trying to speed up the pleasantries.

Loki had a sort of irony to him. He was a Frost Giant-that was his greatest flaw in his opinion. It would only make sense that if he was hiding on Earth, he would throw everyone off his trail by referring to it in some way. SHIELD was all over Norway and Greenland and any other frigid place they could think of, but what if it was more obvious than that?

Seeing she was excited about something, he smiled at her.

"Smoke, then, what can I help you with?"

"I wanted to know something about Loki."

He straightened up, growing serious.

He hated the Avengers. She remember that among the people he killed, one of them was Phil Coulson, whose position had been recently been filled by James _Frost._

"What do you want to know?"

What better way to track your enemies to be right there with them, watching them? One would know everything they were doing, thinking. Loki could keep them off his trail, lead SHIELD on wild goose chases all right in front of them. All he had to do was not be himself and if he had magic…

"Could Loki use his magic to appear as someone else?"

If a mind reader like him came aboard the ship, he wouldn't want said mind reader to know his plans. As a mind reader himself it would only make sense that he would be able to shut out others.

"Yes, he could."

Smoke's breath left her in one quick breath. The world seemed to come to a screeching halt and her mind reeled with the suddenness of the stop.

"Holy shit, I know where Loki is."

"What? How? Where?" Thor asked, alarmed by Smoke's revelation.

"Did I hear you say you know where Loki is?" Bruce asked, who had only caught the tail end of the conversation, but heard enough to be interested.

She nodded, quickly getting her mind back in order to explain.

"I thought he was strange at first, you know, being able to look me in the eyes, and how blasé he was about everything. But then he could shut me out of his mind. When he was debriefing me on Loki-"

At this, Thor's eyes got wide and he looked confused.

"It's just an expression," Bruce explained, "she means that he was getting her up to date on all the information."

Thor nodded and they both looked at Smoke to continue.

"When he was debriefing me on Loki, he talked about him like…like they knew each other. But then what Thor just told me and the position he's in…"

She trailed off, frowning.

"It's Loki. I'm sure of it," she said with finality.

"Who?" Bruce asked.

"Agent Frost."

A loud explosion shook the entire ship and threw them all to the ground forcefully. Smoke hit her head on the edge of the table and it momentarily dazed her. She felt her stomach churn and black dots danced before her vision, making it impossible to see. There was a deafening ringing in her ears.

She felt someone gripping her shoulder, and heard someone speaking. But it was as if it was from a great distance and she couldn't make out who it was or what they were saying. She blinked a couple times, trying to see. She finally could see that it was Bruce.

"I'm fine," she yelled, because she could make out sirens now, "go and warn the others. Agent Frost is Loki."

He nodded and ran off. It took Smoke several moments before her sight and hearing completely returned and she found she was alone in the break room. Thor must have left as soon as the explosion went off. Bruce left because she told him to. If she had a concussion, it was likely gone by now. She healed faster than most people.

When she got to her feet, the world tilted off its axis. She stumbled and fell out the door of the break room. Okay, maybe Smoke wasn't as healed as she thought she was. She picked herself up slower this time, swearing softly. Her area of the ship was deserted even though the sirens were still blaring and she noticed the line of water that was beginning to rise towards her. It hadn't been the injury after all; the ship was tilted at an alarming angle.

"He's sinking the ship," she whispered quietly and without any more hesitation, bolted up the metal platform.

She searched for the thoughts of others and finding them, raced towards them, hoping it wasn't Loki or any of his lackeys. Her heart pounded in tune with her headache. She stopped when she was met with agents. Their eyes met and she searched their thoughts. They were good.

"Take me to Tony Stark," she ordered, "I can help find anyone that's trapped if their still alive."

One of them nodded and told Smoke to follow them. They sprinted through the corridors, avoiding water where they could. They finally made it to the main deck, where Nick Fury was desperately trying to get control of the situation. The ship was sinking and he was getting agents boarded and free.

"Where's Tony?" Smoke yelled.

"Helping some people that way," Fury called back, pointing down a hallway.

Water was flooding in from that area.

"Close the door behind me," she told him before flying through the narrowing opening.

Taking a deep breath, she dove beneath the water and used her wings to propel her where she needed to be. It was a part of the ship that she didn't visit often-the barracks. There was shrapnel and debris covering both doorways. She was only able to get in through a hole in the wall.

"Smoke, what the hell are you doing here?" Tony screamed when he saw her.

"I'm here to help. I can get anyone that's trapped."

"You can't breathe underwater," he said, his mask covering his face.

She growled. Did he have to fight her on everything?

"I have a greater lung capacity, you dick. I can hold my breath for maybe…ten, eleven minutes. That's enough time to rescue people."

"There are people in the barracks below ours. I don't know if they're still alive, but they'll die if you don't check them out."

She nodded, and started towards the little hole in the wall. She could swim below and probably find a way in. Tony grabbed her arm before she could get there though.

"Be careful," he told her.

She nodded once.

"I don't know if that suit's made for water, but if you blast a hole through there, you can get everyone out of here at least."

She pointed to a spot on the wall and he nodded. With that, she took in the deepest breath she could and fought to find a way to the trapped people. When Smoke did find the rooms, she was in for a bad surprise. It was Loki, the real Loki, without any disguise.

He grinned at her as she took in a lungful of air and came up short. It was filled with carbon dioxide. They didn't have much air left and she had to save the three people he's apparently taken hostage.

"Well done, Smoke. You solved a riddle in a few days that none of these idiots could solve for weeks," he told her.

She considered him warily and then the three people kneeling off to the side, the water up to their chests. He was a lot more handsome than even the picture made him seem. His hair was raven black and slicked away from his face. His eyes are a brilliant shade of blue, enhanced by his dark hair and fair skin.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He smiled and spread his hands out.

"You, of course. Why else would that woman have directed you down here?"

She swore softly. His head tipped sideways in amusement.

"You took quite a blow to the head. None of my soldiers hurt you, did they? I ordered them not to."

She shook her head slowly, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I hit it on a table in the explosion."

"And your arm?"

She glanced down. There were two slices bleeding profusely-one on her forearm and the other dragging over her shoulder. The hole to the barracks had been a tight squeeze, she'd thought she'd felt a snag.

"Shrapnel, most likely."

He made a little 'hmm' sound. Water was quickly filling the room, it was nearly up the hostages necks. She made a move toward them, but Loki was faster and held a dagger to one of their necks. She immediately stopped, her hands up to show she wasn't trying anything.

"That's a good girl," he said, "now step away."

She took a slow step away from the innocents.

"See, that right there, is what I love about you heroes. So concerned about all the little people, convinced you can save them all."

She swallowed. Smoke had been in hostage situations before, both as a hostage and a negotiator, but these circumstances were the most extreme she'd ever had to deal with.

"I can't save them all. I know I can't," she said, "but I can save them, if you just let me."

Smoke felt a sinking feeling in her stomach at the little twinkle in his eye. He was enjoying this game. She breathed slowly, thinking. There was something he clearly wanted.

"Ah but see I can't. That wouldn't be fair would it? You get what you want, they get what they want, but I get nothing," he replied.

Her answer was immediate.

"What do you want then?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you listening? C'mon then, you're smart. Think."

Smoke quickly went over the entire conversation and she felt a scream rise in her throat.

"Me. You want me," she said finally.

He laughed.

"Give the girl a prize."

She took in a deep breath. They were all going to die if she didn't do something and there was only one thing she _could _do.

"Fine."

"Pardon?"

"You'll get what you want. If you let me save the hostages, I'll go with you. I won't fight."

He watched her for several moments.

"How do I know you're not lying?" he inquired, still playing.

She tried not to let her frustration and impatience show.

"Read my mind. You know I'm not."

His startling blue eyes stared at her for several more moments.

"It's a deal, then," he said at last, just as the water level was past the hostages mouths and noses, "you have ten minutes."

She let out a quick breath and quickly went to work, untying their hands from their feet, which was what kept them kneeling for so long.

"Tick, tock, Smoke," Loki said tauntingly.

She looked up and around them. Then she saw it, the door. But it was past Loki.

"You're playing fair?" she asked, gauging his reaction.

"A deal's a deal, love," he replied, showing her his empty hands.

She moved past him, struggling with the height of the water. The door was stuck, but she was stronger than she looked and was able to open it enough to get them all out. The other room had a huge hole in the ceiling and she was able to help them out.

The sky was alight with the setting sun-a dramatic background for Tony's suit.

"Smoke! Get out here!" he called.

Before she could do anything, a cool, slender hand covered her mouth and someone's arm wrapped around her, effectively trapping her. She had just enough time to see Tony's mask pull back and the look of horror on his face.

"So long then," Loki said for her and then water was rushing in around her from all sides.

She shut her eyes tight as she blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi guys, I'll try to be brief. I absolutely adore comments and thank you so much to everyone that's taken the time to review. I do, however, want to make a point that I am well aware how unrealistic Smoke is, but she's in good company considering she is a character in a comic book universe that has wings, can read minds, and her uncle is a genius billionaire play-boy philanthropist super hero named Iron Man. Of course, reading is your choice, so if it's really that bad no one is forcing you to read. Thank you so much to ****_everyone_**** and please enjoy this next chapter :)**

Tony couldn't decide who he was mad at. Was it himself for letting Smoke go when Loki could have been anywhere (and apparently it had turned out to be with the hostage)? Was it Smoke for running off on her own? SHIELD for not realizing one of their own agents was the bad guy? It was a never unending track in his head as he kept running equations-it helped him think.

He was also tortured with thoughts of what Loki could possibly be doing to his niece. The guy was insane and no matter how much she denied it, Smoke was delicate, frail. It wouldn't take much to break an arm or wing. Not to mention, Loki could read minds, just like her. The mental torture he could unleash upon her…

"Tony, she's been through a lot. I'm sure she can handle Loki," Bruce tried to reassure him.

But Tony just shook his head and continued with the complicated math in front of him.

"Really Tony," Natasha agreed, "you need to be focusing your attention on helping us find them. In the meantime, Smoke will be able to take whatever Loki dishes out. Europe prepared her for this."

"What is that? Some sort of SHIELD training camp? Or are you just talking about all the missions?"

Natasha's expression changed from tough love to astonishment.

"She didn't tell you…"

She uncrossed her arms and turned to grab a file off the table beside her.

"Didn't tell me what?" Tony asked, eyes narrowing.

Natasha threw the file down in front of him and watched as he read the name on the manila folder.

"Smoke's file? So what?"

"Read it," she commanded.

Tony stared at it for a second, mentally deliberating between reading it and just ignoring it to wallow in self pity again. Finally, he picked it up and began scanning through. The first two pages were nothing he hadn't seen before. He knew her history. At least he thought he had until he got to pages three through five, in which Smoke's own handwriting recounted the death of her parents and the eighteen months following the accident. The last page was an evaluation of her psyche.

He shot to his feet and stormed toward Fury's office, where he'd taken up residence since the sinking of the ship.

"Fury, we need to talk."

* * *

Smoke woke to something cold touching her and she jolted into consciousness on a cold metal table. Her clothes and hair were wet, sticking to her body and face. A shiver raced down her spine and spread to her arms and legs, causing her to quake with cold. She sat up, a few strands of hair coming loose to drip in her eyes. She impulsively jerked her head to get it out of the way and analyzed the room around her.

It reeked of chemicals and blood and it was ice cold. The walls were pristinely white, as were the cabinets. The floor was clean and tiled dark blue and off-white. The table she was on was metal and looked to be adjustable. On the counter a few feet away she saw gauze and bandages. She felt comfortable concluding that she was in some sort of medical facility. Which one though, she had no clue.

"Ah, you're awake," an unfamiliar voice said from behind her, "that was fast."

She turned to see an equally unfamiliar man in a lab coat coming into the room. He was older, with silver and white hair. His eyes were open and kind as he gave her a somewhat troubled smile. Her eyes narrowed as she delved into his mind.

"You work for Loki."

It wasn't a question or an accusation. It was a statement that brought a lot of pieces together. Upon waking, she initially couldn't remember blacking out. All she could recall was the ship sinking. But with the reminder of Loki, her memories flooded back. She made the deal and, unfortunately for her, Loki collected.

"Yes," he said with less enthusiasm than before, "I'm Dr. Parker; it's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Stark."

She met his eyes. But as she rightfully expected, he quickly avoided her gaze.

"Where am I?" she asked bluntly.

He didn't answer, just started putting his gloves on. That immediately made her suspicious. She was the only patient in this hospital or whatever it was and he was a doctor. She was drawing conclusions that she certainly didn't like.

"What are you doing?" she asked sharply.

"I am giving you a check-up."

She searched through his thoughts, trying to tell what was going on.

"Loki ordered this? Why?"

The doctor shook his head.

"It's not my concern why he does anything. Perhaps that is a question you should ask him yourself."

She snorted softly-as if. Her disconcerting gaze was focused solely on the doctor in distaste as he drew closer. He began his examination as simple as possible by manipulating her arms and legs. He seemed a little thrown off by the wings, but extended and retracted those as well.

"Perhaps Loki should have gotten a veterinarian instead," Dr. Parker muttered, drawing a laugh from her.

In her current situation it really shouldn't have been funny, but all things considered it was fairly humorous…at least to Smoke. It was a conundrum she'd had before. Did she go to a regular doctor or a vet when she had issues? Maybe…both? It was a good thing that she rarely needed serious medical attention.

The doctor went on to check her eyes, ears, and throat, noting that her throat was raw-probably from yelling so much that day (or was it the day before?) and all the salt water she'd no doubt swallowed. He stitched up her arm and shoulder, checked to see if she had a concussion from the head injury (she did not).

Smoke behaved through all of it, seeing no reason to waste energy when he was patching her up and not doing anything overall disagreeable. It was only when she saw the needle in his hand that she became difficult.

"Keep that away from me," she said, voice dangerously low.

"Ms. Stark, it's just a needle."

"Oh, I'm well aware of what it is," she answered, glaring at the infernal thing.

No, it didn't make any sense, but Smoke had an inexplicable fear of needles. Ever since she was a baby she'd hated them. She'd take on the possibility of drowning, getting shot, and even getting kidnapped by a homicidal megalomaniac, but needles? Forget it.

"Really, Ms. Stark, it will only hurt for a moment. I only intend to take a blood test."

"No," she insisted.

He stepped forward and reached for her arm, making reassurances as he did, but stopped short when he noticed how her wings started to unfold in response to her fight or flight reflex. Fighting? Not one of her favorite pass-times. Sure, she was 'sufficient' (if by sufficient you meant the only people that could quick her ass in hand to hand were Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton) but that didn't necessarily mean she enjoyed it all that much. So, in response to a small little needle and an older man that couldn't chase her down anyway? She would take her chances with flight.

"Dude, seriously, just let it go. You do not need a blood test _that_ bad."

This was her last warning and if he didn't back off she'd be out of there like lightening.

"Really, I think you're over reacting, Ms. Stark."

He took her arm and brought the needle toward her vein. In one move she'd flipped off the table without hurting the doctor and was heading for the door he'd come through. Her plan was foiled, though, when the door opened and she crashed right into…Loki, of all people.

"Going somewhere?" he questioned, taking both her arms in his hands.

Her eyes widened up at him. There was something different about him, something far more dangerous. Maybe it was the tightness of the stitches in her arm that limited its range of motion, or, more likely, the fact that they were in his territory, but she was feeling seriously threatened.

"Loki, sir, my apologies for such a long wait but Ms. Stark is having difficulties-"

"We're having a disagreement," she cut the doctor off.

Loki considered her with amusement, pinning her with his intense gaze.

"Oh? And about what, exactly?"

Smoke's mouth shut. No way was she telling Loki that she was afraid of needles.

"She is having difficulties with the needle, sir."

Loki's smirk widened into an unnerving grin as he stepped further into the room.

"Is that so? And what would you need a needle for, doctor?"

"A blood test…"

Loki winked at her, as if they were sharing an inside joke. Never once did his eyes leave hers.

"Unnecessary. You're work here is done."

The doctor's mouth dropped open at this.

"But-"

"That will be all," Loki said with finality, making the doctor go silent.

"Why did you do that?" Smoke asked, eyebrows knitting together and a frown pulling at her features, once the doctor left.

"The needle was making you uncomfortable. Are you not glad it is gone?"

Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed as she stared at him.

"You didn't do me any favors," she informed him, "and that didn't answer my question."

Was she afraid of him? Not really. That wasn't to say she was confident he wouldn't hurt her. He was a killer after all. But it would take a lot more to scare her than a kidnapping. Smoke thought rationally and thus far, despite the fact that she'd been kidnapped and had no idea where she was, she could remember times when she'd been treated a lot worse in similar situations.

"You look cold," he observed to counter her demand for an answer.

She just looked at him.

"Where am I?" she tried this time, voice hard.

Loki glanced around theatrically.

"I thought it would be fairly obvious," he replied humorously.

"No, where is this place? Where have you taken me?"

He smirked down at her, but his tone was warning as he answered.

"That's none of your concern."

She glared at him.

"Yeah, actually, it is. So where are we?"

She should have seen the hit coming. Unfortunately, Smoke did not and she found herself on the floor, her jaw and cheek aching. Well, that went downhill fast. Loki bent down and took her jaw in his hand, his grip bruising. She didn't resist when he jerked her chin up to look him the eye. He was dissatisfied to find there was still no fear in her big blue eyes. If anything, she was even more defiant.

"Careful, pet, do not forget who the prisoner here is," he murmured quietly before standing and leaving without another word.

She didn't say anything and didn't pick herself up off the floor as she tested her jaw, finding that it was already starting to ache when she moved it. Excellent, just perfect. She would not doubt have dark bruises in little less than half an hour, if the pain was any indication. Her cheek too stung with the blow. No doubt it was bright red.

When the door opened again, she thought it might have been the doctor or even Loki again. Instead, it was someone new. He was dressed in a black body suit and steel-toed combat boots with a serious expression on his face.

"I'm here to take you to your rooms," he informed her solemnly.

She got to her feet; head held high and let her hands drop to her sides.

"Lead the way," she answered proudly.

Without another word, he turned and went down the hall. She walked with confidence behind him, trying to remember all the twists and turns through the hallways. It was certainly dizzying. The corridors were dimly lit, the walls and floor dark. But from what he could tell, the ground beneath her feet was tile up until the living quarters, where the floors were all carpet.

The man opened a door for her and gesture for her to enter. The entire time he hadn't said anything more and remained as emotionless as the walls. When she tried prodding at his mind, he'd glanced at her over his shoulder and continued on unperturbed. His thoughts were as blank as his features. Loki had obviously either taught him how to avoid her powers, or chosen him for the ability.

"Dinner will be served in an hour. Someone will be by to be sure you are adequately dressed."

She looked down at herself as the door closed behind her. She was in the shorts and tank top she'd been wearing when the ship sank. If she had to change, did that mean dinner would be with Loki? The thought was not appealing. Shaking her head, she looked about her new living situation.

The room was furnished in nothing but gold, green, and black. The bed was a large queen that looked horribly inviting. The carpet was soft and black; the walls were decorated in Norse tapestries. Against the right wall were two book cases on either side of a fireplace. The left wall had a door that she guessed led to a bathroom.

First thing was first, she tried the door. It was locked. So much for her snooping and possibly even escaping. There weren't even any windows. The thought had her ruffling her wings agitatedly. She was used to flying once, sometimes even twice, a day. The thought of being confined to the ground like _normal person_ was already making her antsy.

Deciding it was a problem she'd solve later, she went over to the bed and flopped down. She nearly sunk straight into the mattress, it was so comfortable. Smoke found she was suddenly very tired and closed her eyes, drifting off into an uneasy sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Loki had to hand it to the girl, she was a brave one. There wasn't a hint of fear in her eyes when she looked at him. Yes, there was a healthy dose of caution and wariness when she addressed him, but not fear. She wasn't a quivering, terrified mess, near tears and falling all over herself to please him. He had a feeling that if he ordered her to do anything, she would complete the task as badly as possible just to spite him. He begrudgingly admitted to himself she had impressed him. If only she wasn't so damn defiant.

He had no such qualms about his opinion of her beauty, however. If anything, she was a ravishing ornament to decorate his empire. He wouldn't be opposed to seeing her as a quivering mess for him. He had a vivid image of her in his head, lying beneath him, naked and vulnerable as she screamed his name. It was at that moment, as he was stalking away from the medical ward that he decided she would do exactly that for him.

* * *

Smoke woke to someone gently shaking her shoulder. She bolted upright, no confusion or memory loss this time. She knew exactly where she was.

"My apologies, m'lady, but it's time to get ready for dinner."

Smoke snorted softly and took in the small woman before her. She was small, and somewhat round. Her hair was naturally silver, and held back in a tight bun. Her clothes were obviously that of a servant, and she carried in her arms towels and something in a white bag.

The poor woman was scared. Not of Smoke, because Smoke wasn't that imposing, but of what would happen if Smoke misbehaved. It was this woman's job to keep her in line, and that was certainly an almost impossible task. Smoke didn't have to read her mind to know that Loki's punishment would be blown out of proportion if Smoke proved to be too wild. So, in light of this, Smoke swallowed her pride this once.

"Okay," she answered simply.

The woman seemed surprised, Smoke saw it flash through her eyes, and then she relaxed in relief.

"Let's give you a bath," she said.

Smoke pushed herself off the mattress, fighting her own fatigue. They went to the bathroom and the woman continued on to fill the tub with hot water and oils. Stripping down, Smoke slid into the tub, feeling the products and the temperature loosen her tight muscles. Her wings were another matter for the tub. She let them hang over the sides and the older woman maneuvered around them, trying not to stare or hurt Smoke.

"My name is Debora," the woman said quietly.

"I'm Smoke."

Debora flashed a quick smile and began scrubbing Smoke down with a cloth. She pulled back several times, unfamiliar with having anyone wash her. It was unsettling, and she saw Debora purse her lips with frustration.

"My lady, this would not take nearly as long if you would only allow me to clean you."

"But I've never had anyone else clean me before. It's weird."

"Please, miss," Debora pleaded.

Sighing, Smoke returned her leg to Debora's possession, reciting the alphabet backwards to avoid the awkwardness of the cloth on her thigh. When Deborah finished with that, she began washing Smoke's hair. The bathroom smelled of roses and lavender. It was an intoxicating mix.

"Alright, step out of the tub and we'll dry you off."

Smoke climbed out carefully, fearful of slipping on the smooth floor. When she had her feet under her, Debora buffered her with a soft white towel and sat her down in front of a mirror. It took what seemed like forever to Smoke, who spent a total of five minutes every morning brushing and then tying back her hair, but Debora successfully styled her hair into something that could be considered elegant and lovely high on her head.

In the bedroom, she considered the white bag dubiously, shifting from foot to foot and rustling her wings. She picked up on a stray thought from Debora that she looked like a bird about to take flight. In reality, she hadn't completely missed the mark. Smoke wasn't sure where she would go if she could have flown off, but she was sure her instincts would have taken her somewhere-probably home.

It was a dress bag, quite obviously. Smoke wasn't a stranger to dress bags either. She'd been to her fair share of events with Tony and Pepper. What the dress looked like was a whole other matter. It turned out to be a shimmery silver number with a rhinestone halter top. It was completely backless, freeing up her wings. As much as she hated to admit it, Loki had impeccable taste. It fit her in all the right places, complementing her curves and somehow blending in with her wings, yet enhancing her blue eyes.

She really hated Loki for that. The shoes were another matter. She refused to walk in the eight inch platform stilettos she'd been provided. Instead, Smoke opted to walk barefoot and take the fall should it rouse Loki's wrath. Other then no windows, she also noticed that there were no mirrors at all in her room. She made a mental note to ask Loki if he was in a good mood.

Debora stayed behind to tidy, leaving Smoke to the indifferent soldier from before. He nodded at her once before leading her through the complex hallways once more. He showed her to a dining room with darkened windows and carefully, but beautifully, set dining table. She frowned, quickly putting it together when she saw the two spots set up. She was having dinner with Loki. Now the fine dress and preparation made more sense.

She stared at the darkened windows, lost in thoughts of flying and home. She didn't notice Loki until he was right behind her, his cool fingertips skimming down her bare back, along her spine. She only half successfully repressed the shiver that followed with his lingering touch. Her eyes met his in the reflective glass and he took her arm, spinning her so that he could take her in fully.

Lust, admiration, and something like reverence showed in his gaze as he considered her entirety. A little frown pulled at his lips and Smoke caught herself feeling nervous that he didn't think she looked good. It was ridiculous and she quickly banished those thoughts from her head, remembering that he was a mind reader too. She was busy reproaching herself when he reached forward, his fingers just brushing her cheek before he took hold of the large clip holding her hair back and removed it. Her hair fell around her shoulders in soft, shining curls, framing her face and brightening her eyes further.

"Exquisite," he said, expression bordering on possessive.

Something inside her almost liked that look. She knew she shouldn't, and she immediately began reprimanding herself. His hand taking her jaw reminded her of their earlier altercation and helped set her back in her right mind. Loki was…well he was evil, as cliché as that sounded.

This time, his grip on her chin was gentler than it had been earlier. His thumb ghosted over a tender spot and she couldn't help but flinch away. He shushed her and continued his analysis of the bruises he'd inflicted.

"You should defy me more often," he murmured in a startlingly sensual tone.

It made heat flood Smoke's body and something coiled low in her stomach.

"I like seeing these on you."

His tone was warm, impossibly warm, but the words themselves were ice cold.

"Is this some sort of strategy to make me behave?" she questioned, somehow finding her tongue.

"That sounds like a fun little puzzle for you to solve," he answered, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Puzzles are always too easy for me," she replied.

"Then impress me," was his ready reply.

Somehow, in the midst of their bantering, a grin turned up the corners of her lips. That, more than anything in the entire conversation confused her.


End file.
